Paul O back in the LANG fold

http://www.dailynews.com/olympics/ci_10271432
He's not really back in the family, but he is the only body the Los Angeles Newspaper Group has in China for the Olympics. He covered the BMX final as well.
Discuss.

We were wondering how PaulO managed to keep his credential while not working for anybody. Wasn't his credential issued to him through the SB Sun? Somebody said, "I'd be afraid to go over there under those circumstances. The Chinese government might shoot you."
The stuff he has filed for newspapers has been good. But his blog, oh well, it's a blog. Who cares about having to run to get on a bus, or that some Romanian TV guys took up two seats with their equipment.
Oh yeah, and beach volleyball is ... FUN. Didn't need to go to China to figure out that one.

Bottom line: Your news sources are drying up. You believe you’re drowning in information, and you are. But it’s of a lesser quality, and it’s coming from fewer primary sources. If those relative handful of reporters don’t get it right … well, nobody will be there to backstop them.

This is not a good thing for consumers and, when it pertains to topics bigger than sports, not good for the country or the world.

Paul's paid his own way to the Olympics and World Cup before, so it wouldn't surprise me if LANG wasn't footing the whole bill even if he wasn't laid off earlier this year. I have to think he was prepared for that.

As for his credential, the man's covered something like 13 Olympics. Safe to say he knows enough people at the USOC (or IOC) to figure out a way to get to China even after being laid off. I imagine he got those freelance contracts lined up pretty quickly and made it clear that he'd still be working when he was in Beijing.

Actually, no. For a big event like the Olympics, he would have applied for a credential as a representative of LANG, not The Sun -- and, of course, he could claim to be writing for eight papers, not one. Which was true, and in a pinch might help his cause to secure a credential (not that he would ever be denied, because he's been around for 32 years.)

One of the (few) "benefits," I guess, of working for a chain with so many shared entities. They spread the money around to keep everybody in the black and get what they need. The Sun on its own couldn't afford to send a writer to the Olympics -- nor would Dean allow it -- but LANG could. That's how it works.

Bottom line: Your news sources are drying up. You believe you’re drowning in information, and you are. But it’s of a lesser quality, and it’s coming from fewer primary sources. If those relative handful of reporters don’t get it right … well, nobody will be there to backstop them.

This is not a good thing for consumers and, when it pertains to topics bigger than sports, not good for the country or the world.

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I did see that entry. It was the most compelling thing he has written from China. That was too good for a blog item.

Well, that's why I said I have to believe he was prepared for that. Besides, he's done it before so maybe I'm just not "amazed" by the idea that he would pay his way to go cover something he loves to cover. To each his own.